Electrical hair drier



Jan. 21, 1930. H, G LEVY 1,744,586

ELECTRICAL HAIR DRIER Filed Jan. 50. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVEIyTOR:

Her/r 6.- Le U A TTORNE Y5.

Jan. 21, 1930. H. G. LEVY 1,744,586

ELECTRICAL HAIR DRIER Filed Jan. so. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fl [3. E

INVILZN'IOR. Henri a Le 0/ A TTORNE YS The air as it is drawn thru the shell is heated Patented Jan. 21, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HENRI G. LEVY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE ELECTRIC MANU- FACTURING- COMPANY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A COPARTNERSHIP CON- SISTING OF HENRI G. LEVY AND MONO AIBRAMSON v ELECTRICAL HAIR DRIER Application filed January 30, 1928. Serial No. 250,384.

This invention relates generally to electrical devices for drying hair or which may. be employed for therapeutic treatment of the face or scalp.

It is an object of this invention to gener ally improve upon electrical hair driers so they will operate to dry the hair of a user in a single operation, without'requiring frequent shifting of the apparatus.

It is a further object of this invention to devise an electrical hair drier of improved construction and mode of operation, which will be eflicient in operation and will perform a complete drying operation in a minimum of time.

'It is another object of this invention to devise improved means for cooperatively assembling a therapeutic lamp with an electrical hair drier.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the following description in which I have set forth the preferred embodiment of my invention. It is to be understood that the appended claimsare to be accorded a range of equivalents consistent with the state of the prior art.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view illustrating a complete hair drier constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view shown 1n cross section.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional the line 3-3 of- Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional detail taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

The invention-may be outlined briefly as comprising a shell having ingress and discharge openings, and thru which air is forced view taken along by means of one or more electrical heating elements, and an electric lamp or. equivalent means is provided for subjecting the head of a user .to therapeutic heat and light radiations; The discharge opening is preferably formed as a hood suflicient in size to conveniently accommodate the head of the user so that the hair may be dried in a single operation. While the use of therapeutic lamps is well known I propose to mount my lamp in a novel way, so that it will be more effective and will be out of the way of the stream of air forced thru the shell by the electric fan.

Referring to the drawing for a detailed description, I have shown a shell 10 made of suitable material such as metal, and having ingress and discharge openings 11 and 12. In practice I prefer to make the shell out of two portions 13 and 14, the portion 13 being substantially cylindrical while the portion 14 is flared toward the opening 12 or bell-shaped and merges with portion 14 along the junction line 16. The portion 14 forms a hood sufiiciently large to accommodate the head of a user. For convenience .in manufacturing portion 13 is preferably cal portion 15, there is shown suitable means for forcing air thru the shell, as for example a fan 17 driven by suitable means'such as an electric motor 18. Preferably motor 18 is supported by the casing as by means of brackets 19.

In order to accelerate the drying eflect of air currents, 1 preferably utilize heating elements within the shell as is indicated for example by the resistance coils 21 and 22. These coils are connected to a suitable source of current to secure varying degrees of heat. For high heat I prefer to connect coil 21 across the current supply lines to the exclusion of coil 22, while for medium heat coils 21'and 22 are connected in series.

v I As shown in Fig. 2, in drying air the shell is intended to take a normal position which directs the opening 12 downwardly. This opening is also of suficient size to conveniently encompass the head so that all the hair may be dried without requirin shifting of the apparatus. As the head of a ser extends well into the bell shaped portion 14 -of the carrying a plurality of radial inclined vanes 24. This device 23 is supported in alinement with the fan 17, as by means of a transverse screen 25. Air currents issuing from the fan 17 strike the inclined vanes 24 and are given a rotary motion which materially aid in distributing the air currents thru the bell shaped portion 14, and likewise aids in bringing the drying currents of air into contact with all parts of the head.

The upper end 26 of the bell shaped portion 14 is of reduced diameter and preferably extends above the upper side of the cylindrical portion 13. Disposed within this portion 26 there is an electrical thereapeutic lamp 27 operably fitted in a suitable lamp socket or receptacle 28. Therapeutic lamps suitable for use with my device are well known and generally utilize a filamet operating at a relatively low temperature so as to emit a high percentage of heat radiations. The bell shaped portion 14 acts as reflector of heat emitting from lamp 27 so as to direct the same to all parts of the head of the user.

The novel locationof the therapeutic lamp employed in my device, is a feature of particular importance. If a lamp were positioned directly in front of the fan 17 it 'would materially interfere with the free flow of air thru the shell and would impair the efliciency of the drier. 'By locating the lamp in the end portion 26, it is positioned out of the way orto one side of the stream of air currents and therefore leaves the shell substantially unobstructed. Furthermore it is in a position in which the radiations may be'more effectively directed upon the head.

When the device is in operation and the bell shaped portion '14 is positioned down over the head of the user, unpleasant drafts may be felt upon the back of the neck. These drafts may be eliminated by employing a curtain of cloth or other suitable flexible material. This curtain is preferably detachably secured to the bottom edge of the shell as by means of the spring clips 29 and hangs down upon the shoulders and behind the neck of the user. I also prevent an unheated stream of air being discharged upon the back of the neck by providing an upturned deflecting strip 30 adjacent coil 21. This strip deflects upwardly the unheated stream of air issuing from between coil 21 and the inner wall of portion 15 and causes it to intermingle with the other heated air currents.

In practice I propose to provide an adjustable standard for supporting the device, so that it may be tilted at different angles and may be raised or lowered. Such a standard has been shown in- Fig. 1 and comprises a yoke 31 pivotally secured to the shell as by means of olts or pivot pins' 32, so that the shell maybe swung upon a horizontal axis.

' A segment 33 is fixed with respect to the shell 10 and carries a plurality of spaced tion 38 carried by the base 39. Suitable looking means 40 permits the rod 37 to be locked in any desired position with respect to the base.

In operation the user is seated near the apparatus and the shell is lowered until the bell shaped portion 14 substantially encompasses the head. The-motor 18 is then energized and heated air is effectually brought into contact with all parts of the head. The therapeutic lamp 27 may be employed while the drying operation is taking place, or it may be employed in making special therapeutic treatments of the scalp or face. After the apparatus is once set for drying operations, it need not be again adjusted until the hair has been entirely dried. The screen 25 serves to preventany strands of hair from becoming entangled with the fan 17. The diffusion of the air currents is such that the drying of the hair takes place at a uniform rate over all parts of the head. For example the hair at the back of the head will not become dry before the hair above the forehead or above the temples. The disposition of coil 22 is such that when on highheat during which time only coil 21 is energized, the cool stream of air flowing thru the space occupied by coil 22 will strike the pocket formed by end portion 26 in which lamp 27 is .disposed. Thus on high heat lamp 27 is kept relatively cofol, thus making possible a long operating li e.

I claim:

1. An electrical hair drier comprising a shell having an angularly disposed downwardly directed hood exhaust portion of suflicient size to accommodate the head of a user and a lateral tubular intake portion come municating through the side of the hood portion, a fan located in the lateral intake porti n} 7 for forcing air through the shell, and means for heating the air forced by the fan during its passage through the shell.

2. An electrical hair drying device comprising a housing having a substantially unobstructed passage for flow of air and having a lateral tubular intake portion and downwardly directedbellshapedhood ortion communicating through its side wit the intake portion, said hoodportion being angularly disposed with respect to the intake portion and of sufiicient size to accommodate the head of a user, means for forcing air through the housing, and a radiant heating lamp carried by the hood ortion in a position at one side of and out o the path of air flowing through the housing, said hood portion serving as a reflector for the lamp.

3. In an electrical hair drier, a hollow shell having ingress and discharge openings the discharge opening being formed by a downwardly directed hood of suflicient diameter to accommodate the head of a user, and the ingress being formed by an angularly disposed tubular portion Communicating through the side of the hood, an electric fan for forcing a stream of air thru said shell, means disposed Within the shell for heating air forced thru the same, and a therapeutic lamp disposed 'to one side of the path of air flowing thru the shell and substantially in line with said discharge opening, said lamp serving to project radiations upon the head of a user.

4. In a hair drying device, a hollow shell having a lateral ingress opening and a down wardly directed discharge opening, the shell adjacent said discharge opening being enlarged and of sufficient diameter to accommodate the head of a user, an electric fan disposed near said ingress opening for forcing air thru the shell, electrical means for heating said air, and a lamp disposed in a recess formed in the upper side of said shell between said openin s, said lamp being out of the path of air flowing thru the shell and serving to project radiations thru said open end.

5. In a hair drying device, a hollow shell having a lateral ingress opening and a downwardly directed discharge opening, the shell adjacent said discharge opening being enlarged to form a hood of sufficient diameter to accommodate the head of a user, an electric fan disposed near said ingress opening for forcing air thru the shell, electrical means for heating said air, a therapeutic lamp disposed adjacent the upper side of said shell between said openings, and a flexible protective curtain depending from the edge of the shell at said discharge opening.

6. In a hair drying device, a hollow shell having an ingress opening and a discharge opening, said discharge opening being of sufficient size to accommodate the head of a user, an electric fan adapted to draw air thru the shell, electrical means for heating air flowing thru the shell, a screen imposed between the fan and the discharge opening, and means adjacent said screen for imparting a rotary motion to air currents forced toward said discharge opening by said fan.

7. In an electric hair drier, a housing having a cylindrical lateral intake portion and a downwardly directed exhaust portion angularly disposed with respect to the intake portion, a fan in the intake portion for forcing air through the housing, means for heating the air, a screen between the intake and exhaust portions, and means mounted on the screen for imparting rotary motion to the air from the fan.

8. In an electric hair drier, a housing having a cylindrical lateral intake portion and a downwardly directed exhaust portion angularly disposed with respect to the intake portion, a fan in the intake portion for forcing air through the housing, means for heating the air, a screen between the intake and exhaust portions, means mounted on the screen for imparting rotary motion to the air from the fan, and a therapeutic lamp located within the housing at one side of the path of air through the housing.

9. In a hair drying device, a shell having a tubular air intake portion and an angularly disposed downwardly directed hood of suflicient size to fit over the head of a user, said hood being connected through the side with the intake portion, an electric fan in the intake portion for forcing the air through the shell, and radiant heating means housed within the shell outside of the path of air forced through the shell.

10. In an electric hair drier, a tubular casing forming an air conduit, an angularly disposed downwardly directed hood having a connection through one side thereof with one end of the casing and forming a continuation thereof, a fan in the tubular casing for moving air through the casing and hood, and means Within the tubular casing for heating the air in its passage through the structure.

11. In a'hair drying device, a tubular casing defining an air intake portion, a screen across one end of the casing, an angularly disposed downwardly directed bell-shaped hood at the other end of the casing, a fan for forcing air through the casing and means for heating the air during its passage through the structure, said fan and air heating means being mounted within and between the ends set my hand.

' HENRI G. LEVY. 

